#ignorance and overlooking is the spark that starts racism

[exploringthesunkenplace]

Blog Post #1: The Small Details in Get Out

Jordan Peel’s “Get Out” is a clearly phenomenal film that sparked deeper interest in black horror within academic discussions. It has so many layers and small details that allude to greater racial and social themes. During my second time watching it, I analyzed so many additional details that I had overlooked in just the first few minutes of the film, like how character actions connected to self-awareness, color blindness, and common anti-black attitudes. 

In the opening scene where we see a black man get strangled and stuffed in a trunk, he seems to have a sense of self awareness. As a random car seems to track his movements, he knows that he is a black man in a nice neighborhood - as well as of the dangers that follow this stereotypical situation, as he says “I know how they like to do motherf*ckers out here”. As he makes an abrupt turn and walks away he says “not about to be me, not me” - a thought that I’m sure thousands have had before being abducted, abused, or murdered. Peele seems to comment on how this awareness is not enough, even trying to get away from a dangerous situation is not enough.

We then go into an example of white ignorance through the presentation of color-blind beliefs. Meeting Rose’s parents weighs heavily on Chris’ mind, and that’s clear from the atmosphere. And when he asks if her parents know he is black, Rose just shrugs and says, “should they?”. I think Jordan is likely echoing sentiments expressed in films like Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, where a white mother is on the verge of tears as she is introduced to her daughter’s black partner. As a viewer, I was instantly thinking of a situation in which her parents would be shocked to see a black man with their white daughter, and I know that Chris was thinking the same thing. However, she presents this “I don’t see race” attitude. Even in inserting this attitude, I felt like the film was commenting on how problematic it is. Color blindness assumes the hard work is over, it inputs the idea that racism is somehow no longer limiting the lives of people of color and separates race from any consideration of power, structure, or hierarchy. Because really, even though I know the truth of Rose’s nature, the attitude she poses, one of being unaffected by race, is an attitude of white privilege. 

Nevertheless, the initial introduction to Rose’s parents surprised me the most. After the mention of Rose hitting a deer on the road, her father is elated and says: “one down a couple hundred thousand to go…they’re taking over ..like rats and destroying the ecosystem…I see one dead and I think , that's a start”. This part truly made me admire the writing. The fact that he probably was not even talking about deer did not cross my mind the first time I watched the film, but it seemed so obvious this time around. His sentiments towards deer are the exact feelings he likely has towards black people/people of color, and given the nature of this film, that is not a shocker. After all, many white supremacists and racist groups believe people of color to be vermin, taking advantage of welfare, having too many children, and gobbling up their precious taxpayer dollars. One could say these groups see the colored population as an infestation that needs to be hunted.

#get out movie

[queen-breha-organa]

Moana. Lilo and Stich. Jango Fett.

The three examples above have one thing in common.

They are some of the ONLY examples of accurate and non racist Polynesian representation in mainstream media.

Three. Things.

Two movies.

And one character who gets mere minutes of screen time.

Polynesian people are an after thought in society and media. Our land is “profitable” our culture “entertaining”. We are viewed like relics in a museum, pretty too look at, but never worth more than a glance. Our soul is stripped away and our culture made “ palatable” for tourists. We are seen as accessories to vacations. After thoughts.

Can you name three Polynesian actors? Without saying Jason Momoa or the Rock? Did you know Polynesians were the first people to discover Antarctica? Did you know Hawai’i was a formal kingdom? Did you know the Dole company, along with white settlers, overthrew the Kingdom of Hawai’i with the help of the US? Did you know most Polynesian native languages were ban by White Settlers? And only reinstated in the mid 1900s?

How much do you not know? And this isn’t a slight. I mean it genuinely. How has the media effected your view of Polynesia and it’s people? And If you know a lot, I admire you! Genuinely. But you can’t ignore the gap in media. This is not mainstream knowledge.

Which brings me to Star Wars specifically.

Temuera Morrison, a Māori actor, was cast to play Jango Fett in “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.” In this movie, he plays a Mandalorian bounty hunter who is payed to be a Clone donor. Using his DNA, an entire army is created. Clones of him, known as “Clone Troopers”.

Despite being Clones of a character Temuera Morrison plays, Clones have NEVER looked Māori in their main media. (The Clone Wars)

I genuinely. Do not think this was done on purpose AT FIRST. Genuinely. HOWEVER! Unintentional bias and ignorance is STILL bias and ignorance.

When you get a group of character designers and they’re all white, and they all grew up AS white people, in a world that provides the privilege of ignorance to white people, you will get ignorance. Unintentional or not. It is still racism. It’s still white washing. It’s still feeding ignorance around Polynesians.

Ignorance about Polynesians is what creates this.

Ignorance. That went unchecked. Ignorance that turned into internal bias. Internal bias that turned into racism.

How Temuera actually looks was an after thought. His round face and hooded eyes, were an after thought. His accent and body type was an after thought.

This after thought spun again and again and again, and now, the Smartest Clone is the lightest. And the Dumbest Clone is the darkest. And their faces are angular, beyond recognition.

This is racism. Plain and simple.

So how do you help?

LISTEN TO POLYNESIANS!!! Learn about our people, learn about our actors, learn, learn, learn.

Prevent ignorance by listening. Prevent internal bias by learning and unlearning.

And speak up. Call Disney out on their racism! Call out character designers on their white washing. Call out artists for their white washing.

And lastly, Have difficult conversations. No one likes to be ignorant. But sometimes we all are, and unchecked, that ignorance can light the fire of racism and harm. And it will spread, and grow, until it’s a wildfire burning everything in its path. That fire burns my people, burns me. Hurts my heart, my soul, my perception of myself.

Do not let Polynesian people be an after thought

#ignorance and overlooking is the spark that starts racism #so listen #and speak up #Star Wars #unwhitewashtbb

[starrspice]

Rose Quartz isn't a villain

Unpopular opinion. But here we go

This is My personal two cents. This isn't ordered well its kind of all over the place.

WARNING. ITS REALLY LONG

A lot of people (especially since the movie) have been acting and bashing Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond and acting as though she's the cruelest villain in the universe.

And here's why I don't think she is the ANTAGONIST (a person who actively opposes someone or something)

And furthermore why she falls in line as a VILLAIN ( a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot.)

As well as a HERO (a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities)

Let's start with her thought process and behavior.

A big thing I see is people saying "HER ABUSE DOESNT JUSTIFY WHAT SHE DID SHES STILL A MONSTER" and it's true. Abuse doesn't justify terrible behavior but it does to some degree explain it. Pink diamond was abused by the other diamonds.

She was constantly punished for acting out, which she did not only for attention from the other diamonds (as she seemed to be left alone quite often ) but also to make them happy (which indicates that they usually are not) and bring the family together. Not only did she act out, but when punished, she was forced to say she's sorry and that she was wrong, for simply trying to make her family happy and feel less miserable herself.

Pink was basically trained to follow homeworlds rules and not to question anything. And was forced to live a life she hated.

Yes. A lot of what Pink did and HOW she acted is due to how she was raised by the diamonds.

Diamonds are taught that THEY are the leaders. All gems and other life forms are lower than they are. And while Pink did, in fact, realize that killing the planets was wrong that may very well be all she realized. Gems weren't made to fuse with other gems, or to rebel, or to find their own path in life. All of those were things introduced by the rebels. The only reason the diamonds are getting closer to behaving and thinking better than they used to is that they had GUIDANCE. Steven helped show them a better right and wrong. He's helped them work to become better people for 2 years. And one may argue that pink/rose had thousands of years AWAY from. her abusers to become better. But the big thing she didn't have was guidance. She didn't have anyone tell her that those things weren't ok. The gems couldn't tell her that because everything they were doing is new to them. They grew and developed as people but couldn't possibly understand a stronger sense of right and wrong since it had never been questioned before and they'd never been told anything except for "Diamonds know best so we never question them" if you listen to Rose's song love like you she REALIZES SHE WAS TERRIBLE but only because she finally had someone to show her how her way thinking was resulting in terrible behavior and causing problems. "I always thought I might be bad now I'm sure that it's true, 'cus I think you're so good and I'm nothing like you. " GREG WAS HER GUIDANCE but she realized that even if she tried to be a better person. Shell always has a bit of her old self. And she may very well think That's holding her back. But she knew that steven, someone surrounded by people better than she ever could be. And by a strong loving father to guide him and make him kind and considerate and the amazing steven we know and love.

I know a lot of friends who have dealt with abuse. And they go on to behave all kinds if different ways. But this show depicts 2 very different ways people can behave after a childhood of abuse. Pink ran off and made her own life, but didn't necessarily become better. She continued living as she had, not knowing her behavior was wrong because she had never seen anything else or been told that it was wrong. She acted how she was taught to act by homeworld, and as for the rebels, no one recognized how bad it was because they lived the exact same way. They were stuck and had trouble growing as people because they didn't know how to grow. Steven taught them. That's why pearl lives for herself now instead of rose. How Amethyst takes pride and lives with the support of her friends and family boosting her up. He taught garnet that it's ok to not know everything, and sometimes you just have to focus on what you can change rather than what you cant. He taught them that fighting doesn't always fix the problem. Pink didn't have a steven until she realized how much she truly loved Greg. How he was different from other humans because he taught her and was willing to overlook the mistakes of her past so he could help her future. Only at the end of her life did she learn that she was wrong, and selfish, and not a good person. The diamonds acted JUST like this. They all dealt with Whites abuse. And realized. They behaved wrongly. Steven showed them that. They had guidance. Yes. Some people can realize the fault in their behavior on their own. But some cant. The diamonds needed guidance to take steps towards being better. And they're still struggling to learn. But they have someone to help them. So they're trying to fix their mistakes. So yes. Pink diamond was a bad person. And she did a lot of what she did not only because of the abuse. But because of how she was taught to think. This is not to void her of fault or to excuse the things she did. But I feel like it's unfair to call her evil and cruel and heartless. EVERY SINGLE VILLAIN in steven universe has had some layer of depth of deeper reasoning for what they did. And even if you consider pink to be the real villain. The same goes for her. Evil is not inherent, just like all terrible thoughts and behavior patterns. Like racism isn't inherent, or bias or prejudice. These are behavioral traits that are TAUGHT. If a killer raises a child. That child may not think killing is wrong. Pink was raised where she was an important person who had a right to everything she wanted and her desires took priority. Once something didn't serve a purpose she was expected to get rid of it. And gems were treated like objects. They were used for walls, decorative statues. Even aquamarine said topaz was of no use to her. And was prepared to get rid of her. we know this is wrong but they don't. Not all of them anyway. Even the off colors thought they were in the wrong for being themselves. It's not as if she did all of this because she wanted to hurt those around her. She did everything how she did because she was taught to think that way or behave that way. We become the people we are through nature AND nurture. But one can have more sway on someone depending on their upbringing. Abd abusive upbringing like pink endured is bound to drill homeworlds ideals into her head that much more. Especially since she tried to go against the grain and was punished constantly for trying to save things and be better.

And a lot of complaints I see is that "if she tried to explain her feelings to the diamonds none of this would happen" but everyone seems to forget. SHE DID TRY. In the episode where ruby and sapphire split and pearl explains everything she shows that pink diamond DID try. But was scolded for it. And was ignored. Just like how white ignored blue and yellow. She used all her authority but it meant nothing. She felt trapped and took an out. She tried to make a change. It started a spark that leads to a rebellion. Gems thinking for themselves. Being themselves. She did do good things. She tried to leave as much good as she had. But she didn't really know good and bad. She is still responsible for her failures and actions. But it's so so SO wrong to just slap a label on her calling her pure evil like she WANTED to do all that damage. Its the same as calling someone a hero despite any terrible things in their past that may have lead up to that. It's fine to classify her as an antagonist because yes. She caused problems for the main character and everyone around them. But it's not ok to ignore the meanings and cause behind it. We all knew pink/rose wasn’t A good person. But it's not ok to belittle her and act like her suffering and upbringing played no part.

It just upsets me when people ignore the history of someone. And I repeat THAT DOESN’T EXCUSE HER ACTIONS but that doesn't mean its ok to label someone based on their mistakes. No. Rose isn't a good person. She didn't know how to be. But that doesn't mean shes a cruel villainess. It means she was hurt early on and never fully recovered.

People who come from abuse can rise higher than their oast and tey to be better. And sometimes they can get stuck in their past and never learn from it. But that doesn't mean it's from a lack of wanting to be better. They may just not know-how.

This explains pinks behavior. And why she isn't an ANTAGONIST. She wasn't ACTIVELY trying to harm anyone or ruin anything. She even REFUSED TO SHATTER GEMS. She had a semblance of right and wrong and what was too far, but that's as far as it went. Additionally, by the time the show takes place, Pink is gone and can no longer actively do anything against steven or the crystal gems.

So. My thoughts on Pink/Rose

Not a good person and not justified in her actions, but came off the bedside of an abusive childhood and was never taught better. Just because she's done a lot of bad things doesn't mean bashing her is ok. Try and think of it like real life. Not everyone becomes better after abuse. And not everyone has the influences and tools needed to become better after abuse. We learn right and wrong from the people around us, so what if no one around us knows proper right and wrong?

Not looking to argue and you can reply with your thoughts if you want. But that doesn't really mean ill respond (im sure ill be flooded with people telling me why I'm wrong lol)

I would go on but I feel like this is too long already

#su spoilers #rose quartz #rose quarts is pink diamond #rose quarts steven universe #rose quarts su #steven universe diamond #steven universe leaks #steven universe #steven universe pearl #steven universe pink diamond #steven universe pink pearl #steven universe speculation #su specualtion #pink diamond #rose quartz is a villain #pink diamond is a villain #not #steven universe yellow diamond #su yellow diamond #su blue diamond #su white diamond #my thoughts #she doesnt deserve this #su the movie #spinel #spinel su

[aboriginalnewswire]

TheAngryindian

07.06.2001

‘As for a climactic conflict between a once-Christian West and an Islamic world that is growing in numbers and advancing inexorably into Europe for the third time in 14 centuries, on this one, Breivik may be right’.

-Patrick Buchanan

[FOTO: Public memorial one day after the Breivik attacks. Credit: Johannes Grødem]

As sensible people try to find psychic balance after the deplorable attacks in Norway against cultural progressivism in Europe, it has become painfully clear to all that Christian fascism, xenophobia and right-wing violence have again become an undeniable part of everyday life in the west. As much as it hurts, White society must finally accept the fact that what occurred in Norway did not arise out of a vacuum. Only a flat-out bigot would try to deny that right-wing Christian terrorism does not has a long and sordid history of violent opposition to ethnic and religious minorities, left-wing politics and progressive social change. Despite what conservative apologists might say, their religion has not taught them anything about tolerance and peace.

The racist doctrine of White ‘ethnic’ supremacy has been lovingly nurtured in popular culture, spiritually endorsed by Jesus’ theologians and accepted by many within the White and non-White mainstream as an equitable politic in the 21st century. When wealthy Caucasian dandies like fashion designer John Galliano and pop icon to the forlorn, Morrissey, start playing around with far-right racialism, it is painfully obvious that being a dedicated follower of fascism has become more than respectable. It’s back in vogue. We can continue to bury our heads in the sand like the Obama administration and pretend that White racism on a global scale does not exist, or, we can pragmatically move forward by bravely addressing the ugliness that is staring us in the face.

Like it or not, White racist attitudes have been a prominent part of the European social fabric since antiquity. And it is foolhardy to overlook the reality that xenophobia is still used as a political tool by the European and Euro-settler upper-classes. Visible examples of pro-White, anti-immigrant and anti-Islamic sentiment have been simmering in Western Europe ever since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Inspired by US President Ronald Reagan’s ceremonial state visit to honour the Nazi dead of Bitburg, Germany in 1985, Eastern European fascists simply brought their admiration for Adolf Hitler along with them to the now unified Bundesrepublik Deutschland. And guess what, no one cared.

In the UK, Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher deftly contributed to the rise of the right by making it perfectly understood that she felt White Britons were ‘tired of being swamped by immigrant cultures’ as Brick Lane slowly began to turn sepia. A conscious move on her part to make peripheral use of the National Front and the British Movement which began attacking Asians, Africans and Jews at will. And during that time, they were quietly protected by the veiled racialist sympathies of the British media and local law enforcement.

It sounds like a chapter pulled out of the Mussolini years but it isn’t. It is a matter of the international public record and it is rarely mentioned in connection with the role of fascism in modern Europe. The acceptable line of selective thinking argues ‘that was then and this is now’. Things have changed they tell us. But do not be fooled by what seems like progress. The rank unpleasantness the ‘Great Communicator’ and Baroness Thatcher gave birth to in the 1980’s is still with us. Only the superficial veneer is different. The current US President Barack Obama may be of African descent, but his portfolio as an American politician is no less Europocentric and no less racist than any of his predecessors. By and large, the most powerful Black man in history has done more than any other world leader on record to enforce the machiavellian processes of White Christian supremacy by any means necessary. And no one knows this better than self-aware African and Indigenous peoples.

Conservative White folks and other suckers suffering from acute Europhilia may be able to ignore the realities of this apathetic disdain, but people of colour and the poor are suffering loudly and in plain sight. It does not take more than a glance to see just how little his administration is concerned with how bad African people in America are doing under federal Black leadership. Although he is deep into his first term as Commander-in-Chief, Mr. Obama has yet to address institutional anti-African or anti-Indigenous racial discrimination, the widespread social crisis of racial profiling or the established inhumanity of overtly racist police departments or conservative judicial brutality against the poor. Now that it is achingly clear to the conscious that the incessantly repeated fear of an Obama-led era of Marxist-neo-Nazi-Wahabbist ‘reverse-discrimination’ against White Christian American world is patently ridiculous, what next? Will the racists and politically stupid now cease behaving like the goofy characters in ‘Springtime for Hitler’ or will they persist in their pursuit of a global Whites-only agenda? You know the answer to this question as well as I do.

So for brevity’s sake let us cut to the chase and admit to a few well-known social variables. Even if it happens to embarrass the Europeans who may be reading this commentary. The phenomenon of pro-European racism and exploitation of darker peoples is, and has been, a reality across the world since the classical Roman Empire. We can get into lengthy discussions about how and why later. But let us suffice it for now by saying that what we are dealing with in terms of the ‘new’ Christian fascism is in reality, a White man’s problem. Faulting the people of the Third and Fourth Worlds and social progressives for what has happened in Norway is like blaming Jews for the Odessa pogroms.

And truth be told this is exactly what is being done with the editorial reportage of Breivik’s bloody massacre of the innocent. The victims, mostly young socialist-leaning citizens and residents of Norway, are ultimately being blamed for what happened to them. And US media jester and devout Mormon Glenn Beck did just that when he equated the socialist victims of the Utøya attacks with the Hitler Youth cadres of the German Nazi era. And really, is anyone in the literate world really surprised by this, or the fact that this vicious Mormon bigot still has his job? The sad fact is that Glenn Beck and the other unrepentant Völkisch journalists like him in the US, UK and Israeli news media did exactly what they were expected and paid to do. In a conscious fit of blatant White supremacist damage control they all blamed the attacks on Islamic extremism, even after it became clear that the perpetrator was a Christian zealot hoping to spark an anti-Islamic ‘Holy War’ in the traditional lands of the Master Race and Palestine.

The ‘Truth’ Game

For once it would be refreshing if White society actually took responsibility for its own congenital insanities, but this isn’t likely to happen anytime soon. Expecting the dominating Europocentric racist world order to willingly come to grips with its own xenophobic hubris is foolish. Denial is central to the paradigm and White racism as an ideology has been spinning the same outrageous frequent liar programme across the globe for generations. The reality that people around the world are being starved, maimed and killed in the name of positive White control has always been soft-pecked and dismissed as inconsequential. Although racialist laws are considered morally reprehensible, Apartheid in South Africa was clearly defined as racial separation and it was still supported by all of the major democratic powers.

We can make believe that we are witnessing a sudden sea change in social and political attitudes, but this just isn’t credible. The writing, in large part due to the maddening and sickening violence of Anders Breivik, is on the proverbial wall and it is written in scarlet. You and I both know what is really going down in the world, to whom it is happening to and ultimately, who it is that benefits from the institution and maintenance of human-on-human brutality. And we are all cowards for knowing this and for allowing it to continue in a democracy. And Whites who work overtime to deny what has been going on in their name for centuries are the greatest cowards of all.

At some point one would hope that White people as a demographic would eventually come to their senses and stop playing games with the lives, minds and general welfare of others by facing up to the truth of their own belligerent behaviour. They could actually begin right now by admitting to themselves that the Christian terrorist, Anders Behring Breivik, is one of theirs. This hasn’t happened yet because the conservative lobby is doing everything possible to deny the obvious connections him and the rest of the White ‘race’. Some are even going so far as to deny that Breivik is actually ‘White’ since we now know that Breivik decided to undergo plastic surgery in the United States in order to look, ‘more Aryan’. Twisted identity politics maybe? Perhaps. But no matter how the conservative lobbies in the US, UK and Israeli may try to spin things, Anders Breivik in all his anti-Muslim, bathed in the blood of Jesus glory belongs to them lock, stock and bloody barrel.

Anyone who has watched the rise of the far-right in Europe and North America is not surprised by this omission of kinship. And this writer for one does not accept the juvenile arguments of the White Christian talking heads that are trying to convince us that no one could have seen this coming. You and I both know that this is indeed a lie. And further, we know that such protestations are more than just disingenuous. They are also telling in that any rush to vigorously defend Breivik’s Christian terrorism and racism at this moment only blatantly exposes the establishment’s unmistakable fondness for this sort of Europocentric extremism.

There is no excuse for this. How can there be after the ravages of Mussolini, Hitler and Franco? Pretending that they did not do their very best to burn their way across the subcontinent in pursuit of ‘purity’ is inherently dangerous and stupid, but who really remembers anymore? Who really cares? Not the educated, apathetic Judeo-Christian democratic populations of the exalted west. They have made a conscious choice to dismiss the lessons of any history they regard as a passing joke, including their own.

Considering the hard reality of the mass graves left over from the ethnocidal breakup of Yugoslavia, how can anyone in the progressive world sit quietly while it happens all over again? Remember that Yugoslavia was supposed to be the genocide everyone said was impossible.

Yet, it happened right in front of the United Nations and the world’s news cameras while the European and American far-right laughed at the world community. Why not? They were watching their fascist compatriots from World War Two, the Hrvatski Revolucionarni Pokret (or Ustaše) of Croatia come back to the world stage blessed and endorsed by the world’s superpowers as a legitimate government and military force. They also thought well of the Kosovar Albanian Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës or KLA, an extremely violent and xenophobic criminal faction that Yugoslavian government and intelligence authorities officially identified as a terrorist group on line with the Sicilian Mafia. NATO, along with several foreign observers and journalists in the country during the conflict, even went so far as to declare that the KLA were dead-serious about ‘cleaning-out’ Kosovo’s Serb population and expanding their criminal enterprises internationally.

Curiously, no one was interested in this news. And despite their murderous activity, the US state dept. and the other European powers who could have stopped them did not regard the KLA as terrorists while Slobodan Milosevic’s government certainly did. And when the KLA was finally removed from the official terrorism watchlist in 1998 by the US, UK and France, the capitalist powers began building business relationships with the major Kosovar caporegime as if nothing had happened. The victims are not remembered much less regarded any longer and the rest of the story is simply seen as the bygone history of an unpleasant time in the Balkans. Business as they say, is business.

As we can see, if the far-right were really considered a threat by the ruling classes they would have been stopped cold in the 1940’s. Instead, (and with considerable help from Pope Pius the XII and US intelligence) the Nazi’s simply moved to the Americas and continued on with their work. This goes a long way in explaining why even the organised, government sponsored madness that swept Europe under fascism has been largely forgotten aside from its unfortunate misuse as a political tool. We know this because when US Christian-Zionists began defining the European Holocaust as a gift sent to them from the Almighty, virtually no one objected. And as bizarre as this idea sounds, the fact remains that this outlandish belief is shared amongst a great number of ethnic Jews.

The Zionist Organization of America for instance not only defended but actively promoted the US evangelical shaman John Hagee when he began preaching that the genocides of the last century were necessary for Yahweh (יהוה) to bring back the state of Israel. Clearly, the Evangelical Christian desire for Armageddon, the Rapture and a holy ‘race war’ far outweigh any logical of moral considerations for social justice. The victims of White religious and capitalist violence are simply seen as acceptable exodus fodder, nothing more. They are either exploitable pawns or annoying hindrances standing in the way of God’s divine plan. Either way, they must and will be moved into positions of advantage for European uses. This is the vicious cycle Scotsman Adam Smith described with his ‘Vile Maxim of Mankind’, the willingness of the rich to take unfair advantage of the weak while actually believing that such an arrangement is ‘fair’. So much for the wonder that is capitalism.

Social xenophobia is bad enough, but denying that it isn’t a political and economic device when it is clearly evident in thought and deed is vulgar. This is why conservative media attempts to downplay what happened in Oslo and Utøya are patently absurd. They selectively ignore the political role of Judeo-Christian violence, slavery and ethnic repression in Europe and throughout its colonialist holdings during the Catholic-led Crusades immediately after the Reconquista in 1492. It also leaves out the horror-show that developed after those overseas colonies became independent and internally-colonialised the native populations they displaced or enslaved for their own benefit. This includes the direct involvement of German and US private industry, international banking and the Catholic Church who knowingly assisted in carrying out the ‘Final Solution’. Because of this moral negligence, belligerent fascism has returned with a vengeance. And seemingly, no one in authority is willing to stop it.

Especially not the first African leader of the whole free world. Like the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus Augustus or the native collaborators who proudly served with the South African Police during Apartheid, Mr. Obama has shown precious little mercy to other people of colour at home or abroad. Native Americans, Africans across the Diaspora and Spanish-speaking Indigenous immigrants are doing worse now than ever before. While at the same time, White conservatives gripe and grumble about Obama’s supposed war against European American and the White Christian heritage. This is of course absurd on a variety of levels, mostly because Mr. Obama has done more to uphold traditional standards of ‘Whiteness’ in the United States than any one else.

By the same token, the European conservatives that are complaining about him the most do not believe in the system nearly as strongly as he does. The ideal world these idiotic people claim to want is being given to them by the Obama administration on a platter. Arabs and Muslims are being militarily intimidated, Africans and being starved and racially profiled and immigrants, (who aren’t White) are being ejected from the US at record numbers. So what are they complaining about? Thanks to Mr. Obama and his financial backers, it is the people of non-White, non-Christian world that are paying for US capitalism’s rampant and unrestricted greed. Self-evidently, then, it stands to reason that the racist opposition to Barack Obama is just that, an issue of White racism, not of political differences.

The sordid hoaxes circulating about his non-connections to Weather Underground alumni Bill Ayers, the location and conditions surrounding his birth, his genealogy and his religious convictions are all about White fears of a Black and Brown planet. Their racism is so ingrained and so blinding that they cannot see how closely the Obama presidency actually mirrors their twisted vision of White American global supremacy. Politically, militarily and economically, the United States is without a doubt still the biggest bully on the block. This is the reality. And the Obama administration has done absolutely nothing but expand their capabilities while US citizens bear the brunt of the nation’s economic collapse. Without mercy, the Obama administration has pressed on with the so-called ‘War on Terror’ in search of its ‘enemies’, the very people, these ignorant arses say Barack Obama ‘really’ represents.

Their nonsensical theories also painstakingly leave out the fact that the Goldman Sachs Group and other wealthy capitalist contributors to his campaign were clearly making an investment for their own best interests, not for the working classes most of these White supremacist Neanderthals happen to hail from. Their gross ignorance of politics and history, even of their own country, makes it nearly impossible for them to comprehend what is really happening. Their fears that the election of Barack Obama is some sort of depraved Manchurian Candidate socialist coup d’état’ designed by Islamic mullahs to enslave America’s non-White population is based on absolute smoke. Just as is was during the Antebellum Era and Jim Crow, White folks, bigoted or not, live in morbid fear of an angry and massive backlash for all that has and continues to happen under European racialism and exploitation. But it is not the dark masses that encourage this derangement, it is the inner-human, the race-neutral consciousness

And because of this historical paranoia, Europeans have never felt totally secure anywhere, even within their own territorial domains. Anti-miscegenation laws, ‘Separate but Equal’ education restrictions and the application of indiscriminate White terrorist violence are symptoms of this fear. The mark of the racist is the stubborn unwillingness to acknowledge his or her own fears of the ‘Other’.

And if one is to take the late Algerian psychologist Franz Fanon seriously, Whites often react as explosively as they do precisely because they know how they would react if it was they who were faced with the same sort of oppressions non-Europeans are expected to endure quietly. White people for the most part walk the Earth as if they own it most anywhere and in relative safety. Nonetheless, those Whites that cannot or refuse accept even this are, as we have seen in Norway, prepared to go to extraordinary lengths in the name of White racial and cultural ‘security’. From false propaganda about the first African US president to violent acts directed against non-White people and left-wing political activists, White racism as a movement is willing to go that extra mile. It needs to be reckoned with as a danger to the greater society but until the powers that be decide to a ‘War on Racism’, expect the White Power movement to grow even more as the world’s economic health continues to deteriorate.

Xenophobia, Paranoia and Negligence

Almost from the moment Anders Breivik declared himself the hero of White Christian Europe, conservative opinion makers began doing ju-jutsu with the facts behind his ideological ideas and inspirations. Why is the far-right allowed to get away with this? Obviously because someone within the Europocentric power structure wills it and the psychologically downtrodden masses passively allow it to continue. It is clear that the more White control is challenged, the more White society is seen to overreact. This is indisputable. And it also gives us an important clue as to why Anders Breivik is being accorded such undue preferential treatment and extreme tolerance by the White, mainstream press. Very few conservative news agencies refer to him as a terrorist and most far-right media pundits now enthusiastically describe him as insane and ‘deeply disturbed’. We are told by his lawyer and other experts that he is not entirely responsible for his actions. At first this seems almost reasonable until you think for a moment about how Arab, Muslim and left-wing terrorist suspects and acts are handled by the establishment information paradigm as opposed to how White, far-right terrorist activity is dealt with.

Have Jose Padilla or Pfc. Bradley Manning received this sort of consideration or attention from the mainstream media? When was the last time you read a story or report discussing at length the mental stability of a known Muslim terrorist or noticed a veiled tolerance for their extremist religious convictions? And why is this not a legitimate question? Neo-Nazi, White supremacist and anti-immigrant factions operating in Europe, North America and Australia are by their own admission using violence and intimidation to get their politics across through a policy of fear. Yet, democratic governments in the west are only concerned about such groups when their actions cross the line into threatening their own legal authority or political existence.

Given the extensive record of far-right violence in the past as well as the present one would logically expect to find these entities at the very top of the list for anti-social threats, not at the very bottom. But this is the reality of the situation internationally, and American and European governments are entirely at fault for allowing and encouraging the existence of such organisations in the first place. Democratically-elected governments are supposed to defend their societies against threats to the progressive well-being of their constituents. But they cannot do that and covertly align themselves with the very same negative forces that almost destroyed the world at the same time and call themselves moral. We are forgetting what it means to be and how to remain human. And it is unambiguous that no one is a position of authority thinking in terms of raw political and economic power is willing to identify such movements as contrary to the social good.

The extant Europocentric paradigm operates on two distinct principles: first, it makes damn sure that the literate population only understands the world through a rhetorical mythology concerning the ‘Enlightened European’ and two, that the class-separated masses observe a closed-minded and emotional rejection against their own betterment. Under such jaundiced circumstances, White Christian violence and marginalisation against minorities, Muslims, socialists, atheists, homosexuals, anti-war protesters and non-submissive women can almost always be dismissed as justifiable. Particularly if you repeatedly and intentionally mischaracterize these issues as conservatives regularly do via their lapdogs in the mainstream corporate owned media.

Not a day goes by when the spokespersons for the powerful do not make light of the everyday concerns of real people. With the authority granted to them by the political and religious elite, the problems of historical and institutional White racism, Christian hegemony and capitalist domination are articulated as someone else’s problem. In this way the sole responsibility for doing anything about it is placed on the victims, not the perpetrators. The international discourse concerning social injustice is little more than a sad joke. Europeans are held accountable for nothing. And the United States, now led by a son of Africa, will belligerently defend the influence of White racism and politicised Judeophobia so long as it is beneficial to their imperialistic aims.

I don’t say this without credible evidence. When reports began circulating that the USA’s chief media jester Glenn Beck had the unmitigated gall to tell his dim-witted public that the people killed by Anders Breivik were left-wing ‘Hitler Youth’ wannabes, everyone just shrugged. By rights, Beck should have not only have lost his job but should have been swiftly drummed out of the industry for such callous insensitivity. But if you look closely you’ll notice some things you might not wish to see. For one, its hard not to notice that the usual Zionist jackals obsessed with ruining the lives and careers of honest journalists and bloggers have not gone after Glenn Beck. Even after his numerous verbal assaults against the ‘uniqueness’ of the Jewish holocaust under the Nazis, Beck and people like him have yet to be seriously hindered by their hypocritical positions concerning gentile bias towards the world’s Jews.

In fact, it seems as if their radical Jewish support actually increases after such utterances of stupidity. Following his nonsensical remarks about Reformist Judaism being a different kind of ‘radical Islam’, support for Beck among hard-line Zionists in the US and Israel grew substantially. And let’s not forget that the head of the very Zionist Anti-Defamation League, Abraham Foxman, actually had the audacity to apologise to Beck after the popular ‘Two Minutes’ Hate’ chap suggested that capitalist George Soros, a Jew, helped ‘send other Jews to the death camps’.

Where is the Zionist lobby when the western world could really use them? As I have said before, Beck’s shameless, pro-gentile Zionism is simply Christian theological chauvinism in drag. It isn’t serious. But now that Beck has yet again crossed the line into territory that has permanently ruined the careers and personal lives of better mortals, where are the usual Zionist loudmouths and why haven’t they called for his symbolic flogging? Where are the ‘responsible’ talking heads of the mainstream media, the American Exceptionalist crowd and the Zionists now that Beck has identified the young victims of a rabidly fascist, anti-Islamic Christian terrorist as a left-wing gaggle of the ‘Hitler Youth’?

In a logical world, Israel’s zealous-minded supporters in the west would have a great deal of explaining to do. But as we have seen in the editorial aftermath of the Norway tragedy, the Zionist lobby not only approved of the Oslo and Utøya attacks but cheered the racism, Islamophobia and the terrorist proudly taking responsibility for the attacks. As writer J.J. Goldberg has accurately noted, radical as well as moderate Jewish conservatives have gratefully given their sympathy and support to Breivik mostly because of what they perceive as his uncompromising stance in support of their claim to Occupied Palestine.

After this, let there no longer be any doubt that international Zionism is perfectly willing to stand by a frenzied, racist Christian terrorist seeking to reestablish the decidedly Judeophobic medieval Order of the Knights Templars:

‘The debate exploded aboveground on Saturday in an opinion essay at Ynet (in Hebrew only) by Ziv Lenchner, a left-leaning Tel Aviv artist and one of Ynet’s large, bipartisan stable of columnists. It’s called “Dancing the Hora on Norwegian Blood.” He argues that the comment sections on news websites are a fair barometer of public sentiment (a questionable premise) and that the overwhelming response is schadenfreude, pleasure at Norway’s pain’.

Historically speaking, the Templars were a professional Catholic military organisation that violently occupied and looted Jerusalem during the Crusades by killing Jews, Muslims and non-European Christians in the name of the Mother Church. Their religious biases against the people who dared crucify ‘The Christ’ at Golgotha is beyond credible refute. But modern Zionists simply gloss over this specific by only recognising the Islamophobic and Europocentric aspects of the story. They do this in favour of the ‘White makes Right’ philosophy, a racialist gospel that assumes for itself a dominating role within any given setting no matter what the circumstances are. Proof of this can easily be found in any popular English of Hebrew-language web portal that is covering Breivik’s gross act. Without a doubt, Israelis and Israel-supporters that have bothered to comment at all on the attacks or the debate surrounding the attacks have clearly focused their attention on whether or not the victims of Oslo and Utøya ‘deserve’ any respect at all.

Don’t believe me, read the disturbing comments left by conservatives on the web for yourself via the anti-Zionist crew over @ Jews Sans Frontiers and a translation provided by one of their compatriots from the original Hebrew by way of Ynet:

1. And in the mosque there won’t be some ceremony?

2. It’s fun and warms the heart to see them crying!!!!

3. Go to hell. Haters of Jews/Israelis, anti-semites busy with the problems of others all day—here you got some too. [signed Zionist]

4. I have no identification with an anti-Semitic country that leads to the hatred of Israel. Not happy, not sorry.

5. All in all, what they asked for is what they got!!!!

6. [in Norwegian.] Serves you right, you Nazis.

7. He is a hero, kill all leftists, expel all Muslims.

8. European efficiency.

9. It’s only a matter of time until an Israeli rightwinger will do something similar.

10. My heart with the families of all the victims. I wish you will never know more sorrow and I wish all the wounded will heal as quickly as possible and will put this tragedy behind them. Condolences and sympathy from Israel. [Norwegian and English]

11. I have hope too… that you have many more days of mourning and tears.

12. Feel a little bit of what we feel here all the time, maybe now you’ll understand what it is, terror.

13. The ugly Israeli continues to talkback. Shame on you, you bunch of people who rejoice in the suffering of others dancing on the blood. It’s a shame that you even hold Israeli IDs.

As you can see, Norway is viewed by Zionist hard-liners as too pro-Palestinian for its own good. Once it became clear via his numerous online screeds that Anders Breivik as anti-Arab spree killer was acting on his anti-Islamic theological and political beliefs to combat Islam in Europe, he immediately gained their loyalty as a fellow fighter engaged in their struggle. Don’t be surprised by this. Especially since the discourse has evolved, if you will, into a Hasbara-driven controversy suggesting that any objective criticism of the pro-Breivik position amongst Zionists and Israel’s goyim supporters is actually veiled anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish prejudice in disguise.

The Dynamics of Denial

‘It is out of the question for the leader of the Western world to lay a wreath in a war cemetery where Nazi storm troopers are buried. … The stated purpose, reconciliation, is being drowned in a rising flood of long-buried passions from the death camp survivors, who feel as betrayed and abandoned as they did 40 years ago.’

– Washington Post, 23 April 1985

If you are confused at this juncture be not afraid, because that is exactly the point of all of this circular semantic diarrhoea. Remember if you will for a moment how all this began. The mainstream media in the west immediately began flooding the international news cycle with false and sensationalist headlines stating as fact that al Qaeda had finally penetrated Europe by attacking two targets in Norway. Although they had absolutely no evidence for this, their contemptible reportage on the story forced the public opinion broadly against Muslims whom they mistakenly held responsible for the double attacks.

The propaganda politruks working within mainstream media did their damndest to create the falsehood that militant Islam was making a serious bid to make itself known in Europe. Even the technical journal Wired published a story that assumed only Muslims could have been behind the attacks showing, rather embarrassingly, that the supposedly ‘liberal’ sectors of US society are not all that tolerant of religious differences. Apparently even ‘geeks’ can share the very same knee-jerk prejudices of the rabidly extreme anti-Muslim far-right.

What about the other overlooked fact that the establishment media’s knee-jerk ‘terrorist’ label was abandoned the split-second Anders Breivik was identified as the culprit? How does his act of religious indiscriminate violence differ qualitatively from other acts of theological xenophobia? Does Breivik’s ideological position in full support of White Power globally exclude him from being considered a terrorist? It is a reasonable question since independent investigators and journalists not swamped by corporate censorship have been finding connections between Breivik and known White supremacist organisations operating in Europe. Including ties to the Christian fundamentalist movement gaining social and political ground in the United States.

This isn’t a big secret. The US based New York Times, to its credit, did admit that Anders Breivik was extremely enthusiastic about the rise of the racist right-wing in the United States. But they noticeably stopped short of holding traditional American fascism responsible for its role for what happened in Oslo and Utøya. Not surprisingly, popular media attention in the US has been critically focused upon the entertainment aspects of this story instead of the serious speculation one would expect considering the importance of the issues at hand.

Earnest, investigative journalism concerning the conspicuous ideological and religious use of US, UK and Israeli cultural Islamophobia and political conservatism is difficult to find in the mainstream. As expected, the Christians have given themselves a pass. The religio-political movement founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, when one really thinks about it, is perhaps ultimately responsible for creating the sort of poisonous social climate that has made unconscionable far-right bastards like Anders Breivik possible. But do not expect to read anything about this is the western press which is still ideologically blaming Muslims in Europe for Breivik’s murderous rampage.

The artful dodging of responsibility for US Euro-settler Christian fascism’s international influence says a great deal about the level of cowardice shown by conservatives and White racists when faced with the morose reality of their twisted and hypocritical rhetoric. The American racists and Islamophobics cited by Anders Breivik in his detailed writings, (still available online for the time being) represent a hodgepodge of right-wing ideologues. But is it clear from reading his work that his main source of inspiration is centrally rooted in the United States and the US-led anti-Palestinian Zionist movement.

His list of popular anti-Muslim media propagandists includes such luminaries as Pamela Geller, (creator of the wildly ridiculous ‘birther’ myth suggesting that Barack Obama is Malcolm X’s illegitimate son) Daniel Pipes, Robert Spencer and hard-line Israelis like Avigdor Lieberman and Caroline Glick. Each of these names figure prominently in his writings as definitive reference points for articulating his personal insecurities about non-White inclusiveness in European social life. A concern duly noted by US pundit and legendary pro-Europocentric bigot Pat Buchanan who succinctly put it this way, ‘Breivik may be right’ when he opined that the Norwegian Christian Berserker’s idea of a major military conflict between the Christian European world and Islam may actually be the next logical step forward for White survival.

Scared yet? If not you should be. While the fascist 1930’s are without question furiously nipping at our heels, the bright minds of the political, legal and journalistic establishment say their is nothing for us to worry about. Rest assured they tell us, the culture war against Muslims in Europe and North America is still on the table despite its idiocy. Especially if professional Islamophobic politicians like Irish Republican Army supporter Rep. Peter King and the very Catholic Rudolph Giuliani have anything to say about it. And if you can see past the glaring hypocrisy you’ll notice that their stated political beliefs and religious convictions are as weak as their antiquated, narrow-minded arguments. Please believe, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, democratic, religious or sane about conservative politics in the west.

Still not convinced that there is more to this tragedy than the conservatives are making things out to be? If that is the case, it would do well for the reader to consider the base ideas behind Breivik’s obsession with ‘Whiteness’ and his affection for Christian cultural and racial ‘purity’. Ideas often do have an ideological genealogy and unfortunately, many of the visible road signs along Breivik’s explosive path lead directly to the doorstep of the American and United Kingdom’s organised far-right. Although Breivik’s connections to the Scandinavian branch of the English Defence League and infamous Irish loyalist and Neo-Nazi supporter Jonathan ‘Mad Dog’ Adair (former brigadier of the notorious West Belfast UDA) have been positively confirmed, his emphatic allegiance to America’s brand of White supremacist thinking is being selectively ignored.

The US ideological component is interestingly rarely mentioned in relation to Brevik’s politics and you should be asking yourself why. Very few foreign observers would try to refute that the United States is currently the world leader in popular racism although most mainstream US citizens and residents will vociferously argue the reverse. No matter, American conservatives regularly and treacherously perpetuate the false myth of an organised left-wing/Islamic extremist alliance against the entire White world population all day long. The craziness is now so embedded that socially conservative politicians, pundits, clerics and politicians, both White and non-White, are finding it necessary to ride the wave of populist racism if they intend to stay socially relevant.

Europocentrism Revisited

This is a clear throwback to the melodramatic and quasi-religious whinings of traditional Euro-American White Power terrorist organisations such as the Ku Klux Klan and the ‘respectable’ Bible-thumping bigots who populate the membership of John Birch Society. And Anders Breivik is known to have travelled, (and sought surgical services) to the United States where he hoped to make personal contact with professional Islamophobes such as the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ maven Pamela Geller, (who is doing everything possible to refute any link between them) American White supremacist Christian militia extremist groups like the Army of God and the belligerent members of the pro-corporatist Tea Party. If you have the stomach and the time for it, try reading some of Breivik’s published Christian Übermensch manifesto, his 1,500-page statement regarding his admiration for the Americans and the conservative Christian movement. In his own words he makes it plain that the US is his main inspiration and that he was certain American fascists would approve of his ideas:

‘A majority of Europeans love the U.S….just like a majority of Europeans support Israel’s fight against Jihad. But considering the fact that 80-90% of the media + politicians ‘officially’ support Cultural Communist views it’s only natural that the coverage is extremely biased’.

Now, where have we heard this line before? Taking his cues from the American fascist nut-cases he likes so much, Breivik parrots the groundless fib that liberal bias in the mainstream media distorts the ‘truth’ of White Christian superiority and the threat of Islamic infiltration. A charge that makes little sense considering that the US media industry is a field hopelessly overloaded with stiff, conservative-minded simpletons who do little but intentionally report misleading and contradictory information to serve the extant corporate interest. This is incontestable. Simply look at the ownership of the major news providers and see for yourself who actually ‘owns’ the media. Under such obviously parochial conditions the concept of ‘truth’, as one UK official candidly put it, ‘can be a dubious proposition’.

How US conservatives can spin the Norway incident into a ‘warning’ about the evils of Islam in the White world only makes sense when you consider the actions of American extremists at home. Anders Breivik may very well have gained some of his inspiration from the rogues gallery of American Christian terrorists that have made the news headlines in recent years:

 Eric Robert Rudolph – The pro-Christian anti-abortion extremist responsible for numerous bomb attacks in the United States between 1996 and 1998 that killed two and injured at least 150 other people. He hoped that attacking the Olympic Centennial Park in Atlanta would lead to the end of the radical Marxist and homosexual ‘agenda’ in the US.

 Timothy McVeigh, Terry Nichols and Michael Fortier – Hard-line Christian Identity followers and militia movement members who planned and executed the bomb 1995 attack against the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City.

 Byron Williams – Inspired by the conspiracy theories endorsed by right-wing conservatives such as Glenn Beck, this unemployed carpenter donned body protection, loaded his mother’s vehicle with automatic weapons (loaded with armor-piercing rounds) and headed off with the expressed intent of killing of progressives in liberal San Francisco. After he survived an extended fire-fight with the California Highway Patrol who stopped his car for erratic driving, Williams readily admitted that he wanted to start a revolution by ‘Killing people of importance at the Tides Foundation and the ACLU’.

 George Sodini – A devout Christian upset with the Obama election and his belief that: ‘Black dudes have thier choice of best white hoez….’ decided to take three loaded weapons into a Pennsylvania dance class and shoot wildly after he shut off the lights. He killed three women and severely wounded nine other people before killing himself.

 James W. Von Brunn – A lifelong White supremacist and cold-blooded Judeophobe, Von Brunn led a lone armed assault against the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC in 2009 that killed an African-American security guard. Later, when US President Barack Obama spoke of the need to ‘remain vigilant against anti-Semitism and prejudice in all its forms’, he failed to mention that Von Brunn’s racism was not limited to Jews.

This is far from a complete list. I could have added minor White Power superstars like Christian terrorist Scott Roeder who murdered the well-respected Dr. George Tiller while he was in church, or the seditious ‘Hutaree Group’, a ‘Christian Warrior’ militia outfit accused of conspiring to commit acts of violence against their local law enforcement department. And of course there are the ‘patriotic’ anti-immigrant ‘Nativist’ goons of the Minuteman Project, Inc., the self-ordaining racial separatists of the Phineas Priesthood and the Council of Conservative Citizens who would prefer it if the planet was only populated by White Christian heterosexuals and women like Ann Coulter. I also left out the murders of radio chat-show host Alan Berg by the White Power terrorist group, The Order and of African immigrantMulugeta Seraw by neo-Nazi ‘boneheads’ in Portland, Oregon. I even could go further by citing how the Ruby Ridge incident did much to help fertilize the notion that White racists in American deserve sympathy too and other underreported stories detailing the religious far-right’s reach in the United States. but in spite of all this documented violence you will be hard pressed to find major news services, in English, willing to do objective, investigative reporting on these issues.

Earlier this month I presented an editorial entitled, ‘Why the Time to Dismantle Edward Bernay’s Corporatist Propaganda Paradigm is Now… ’ laying forth a reasoned case for why the organised left should get off its befuddled arse and start aggressively challenging the legal and moral credibility of Rupert Murdoch and his fascist-friendly international media empire. Like any other sober political analyst paying attention to the rise of Europocentric paranoia and the gross inequalities of the never ending class-struggle, I fully expected Murdoch’s News Corp and the UK Tories to deny everything and take responsibility for absolutely nothing.

And true to form they did just that and were allowed to feign total ignorance to the inner workings of their own media organisation. Moreover, they provided a functional example for their American executives to follow as they actively downplay the severity of the wiretapping of 911 victim families phone calls in the US with mobile devices provided to them by News Corp employees.

Mainstream politicians, journalists and academics are consciously turning a blind eye to the rise of pro-White supremacist/Christian fascism in their nations while at the very same time they capitalise upon the social bad-jacketing of non-European ethnic and cultural groups. Occasionally this is intelligently discussed in fair terms, but the fact remains that the victims of discrimination in Europe and the Americas are the same ethnic and cultural groups that have been demonised in European and Euro-settler social tradition, religion and law for centuries.

This dynamic however is rarely discussed at length because to do so would be a self-convicting acknowledgement that xenophobia in the White world is an undeniable fact of life. Further, such an admission would empirically unshroud the reality that White racial perspectives and prejudices undoubtedly remain to be the primary reason why the world is in the shape it is.

The popular post-modernist argument that ‘all oppression is the same everywhere and in every circumstance’ is a Europocentric deception. It suggests a sociopolitical, educational and economic equality amongst all people that does not exist. It flatly denies the harsh realities of White Power, its hatreds, its inconsistencies and its long and sordid history of violence against those they declare to be feeble and powerless. It is also a blatant insult to the basic humanity of the victims who have generally been convinced that it is proper and noble to acquiesce quietly to their own disenfranchisement. This of course is not by accident. It is by calculated design. White society is not ignorant of the routine stresses that demoralise the hearts and minds of the non-European world. It simply masquerades institutional marginalisation and exploitation as the normative division between the better and the worse amongst human society.

And the problem is everywhere and anywhere you may care to look. Worldwide, the struggle between human dignity and the stubborn persistence of White racist advocacy, religious violence and economic robbery continues unabated by modern liberalism or common sense. Those of us who realise that our political, social and psychological under-development is the direct result of our struggle against racialism understand that have a great deal to do in terms of standing firm during these difficult times. We are not swayed by the pretty talk of the establishment or Barack Obama’s skin colour.

We live with the gross indignity of White racism and its by-products every day of our lives. What’s worse, every White person in the Americas is fully aware of this reality, but only a precious few are prepared to do more than simply wax philosophical about it.

There is a reason for this and it is important that we understand the issue fully for what it is. Peer pressure is a very powerful thing. And when decent White folks stand up to White racism they often place themselves at considerable social and physical risk. White people who are not shy about their anti-racism can experience rejection, insult and sometimes violent retaliations from family, lifelong friends and other Whites who object to their ‘cultural’ and/or racial dissent. This is sometimes so damaging emotionally that people who do indeed believe ethnic equality may decide to either stay ‘in the closet’ about their feelings or, they may even pretend to ‘go along’ with the traditional attitudes as a means of social survival. Even for ‘good’ White people, the risk of being socially marginalised as a ‘Nigger Lover’ is simply too much to deal with when it is easier to simply acquiesce to the mainstream and agree that White’s have an inherent God-given ‘right to rule’.

And whether White people in the US, UK or Israel want to accept it or not, they are all to an individual actually profiting from non-White social and political disenfranchisement and genocide. Forget about the hypocritical statements made by US Justice Robert Jackson as he sat in judgment of German Nazis while his own country was still eliminating Native Americans to steal their lands and brutalising African people for profit and sport. The fact is, White supremacist attitudes, Europocentric power and unearned White privilege are the end results of racist imposition and belligerence, not the assumed frailties of the chosen victims. White power is a lot like the Christian concept of the Devil in that it claims it does not exist, yet it informs everything that occurs in national, international and inter-cultural relations. And if you dare tell the truth, the way Brazil’s former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva did when he correctly pointed out that the international financial crisis is entirely the fault of the White people who really control what happens in the world, expect to be painted as a reverse-racist who despises ‘civilisation’ itself:

‘This crisis was caused by the irrational behaviour of white people with blue eyes, who before the crisis appeared to know everything and now demonstrate that they know nothing. I do not know any black or indigenous bankers so I can only say [it is wrong] that this part of mankind which is victimized more than any other should pay for the crisis.’

– Lula da Silva

European conservatives took great offense to this but what could they really say? He was spot-on with his analysis and moreover, he was using the apologetics of White supremacy to effectively support his statement. The concept of White racial and cultural superiority isn’t his idea, its the most elemental argument presented by the ever-dominating White male power structure. It is also the primary fundamental hypocrisy of White racist philosophy. If the White man is the only cultural and ‘racial’ entity on Earth that has ever produced anything of consequence, this means that White society must also accept its central role in all that is wrong with the world they assert they alone have created.

Rational Alternatives to Manifest Destiny

The rise of the far-right is not simply a populist response to non-White immigration and modern religious and ethnic tolerance in the west. It is an engineered sociopolitical phenomenon created, financed and directed by the economic and social upper-classes of continental Europe and their corporate Euro-settler offshoots in the Americas and Australasia. And while ‘Old Europe’, (as former US Vice-President Richard Cheney rudely put it) is still a very important player internationally, the real bulk of actionable world power rests squarely within the intellectual domain of the United States which has occupied this exclusive position since the end of World War Two. Think beyond Bretton Woods, which is still important, and ask yourself why the literate world chooses to believe that the US is a bastion of democracy and human rights.

Are the educated around the world not cognizant of what is happening in occupied Iraq and Afghanistan? Of course we are. It is virtually impossible to avoid the ‘designated information’ streamed to the masses about the glorious mission to bring ‘freedom and democracy’ to the Arab world. Are we ignorant of the overt oppression and covert repression of Indigenous peoples, the African population, Spanish-speaking immigrants, political dissenters and religious minorities in the Americas? No, we are not ignorant of these human rights abuses but we are willing to turn a blind eye because the perpetrators are White. As long as the victims are not White Christians or Ashkenazi claimants to the Holy Lands, all forms of injustice to the human dignity of those deemed unworthy of being regarded as ‘legitimate Europeans’ will be justified in deed, faith and the written word as sanctioned by the great Aryan deity of Providence.

This sad state of affairs is of course helpful to Judeo-Christian industrialists and bankers, but it is bad business for those whom they regularly rob, rape and pillage without mercy in the name of profit and Europocentric hegemony. This is why understanding the White nationalist duo-doctrine of American Exceptionalism and Christian fundamentalism is vital if one is to make any sense out of what has happened in Norway. While the United States did not invent White racist religiously-sanctioned philosophy or violence, it certainly has perfected its practise and political apologia like no other society in history. And the United States is unique amongst the Euro-settler nations in that its institutional practise of ethnic hierarchy, marginalisation and racial terrorism are regarded as normal, if not benevolent, for those who are subjected to it.

And understand this too if nothing else, Europe’s irrational intellectual belief in its own supremacy and cultural superlative will serve to be the factors that will bring about its eventual downfall. Like Apartheid is South Africa, White Power simply cannot last. Just do the math. Whether the situation is in Aotearoa (New Zealand) or Occupied Palestine, Europeans are not a racial majority anywhere outside of Europe, (except for maybe Argentina). Ignore the usual multicultural arguments for a moment and just deal with basic numbers. Racism in any form is a foolish and black-hearted practise, but White racism in particular is completely daft and totally unrealistic. If White folks were smart, they would be eagerly finding ways to work along with non-European folks rather than seeking ways to exploit them.

And despite the wacky suspicions of the insecure, people of colour, even after centuries of mistreatment and neglect, still do not hate White people simply because they are ‘White’. We hate the oppression and we hate the arrogance. If this were not the case, non-White feuds against Europeans would be a very regular occurrence all around the world. It simply isn’t happening. Outside of a few very well publicised incidents, non-Whites have been pretty forgiving. And although ‘normal’ people are finding ways to adjust to the new circumstances, the current trend we are witnessing of compulsive White racialism is clearly reactionary. It is a symptom of the White world’s psychological failure to come to grips with a decaying system of monolithic Europocentric authoritarian domination.

Not that the major press agencies, celebrity psychologists or mainstream politicians report on it much, but conservative folks are frankly just a pitiful rabble of sad, insecure little sods afraid of the world their prejudices made out of whole cloth. And on that basis alone they should not be feared. Just like the American, (and now Canadian and Australian) Ku Klux Klan, the violence exhibited by White conservatives only betrays them. It just proves just how afraid they really are of things that logically challenge their closed-minded perspective of the world.

Their childish fear of non-Whites, Catholics, homosexuals, Jews and anyone else who crosses them is unfortunate. Its also a clear and easily readable indicator of just how deep set and how self-immolating such hatred is for those that hold on to such ideas. Bigots of any colour are mentally ill, and Whites who practise race-ism are consciously vile. There is a very big difference between the two, disliking someone because of their ethnicity is bias, having the social power to actualise that bias is something else entirely.

Ignore the conscious liars and the loony songbirds of the conservative and neo-Confederate media lobby, Anders Behring Breivik, the devout Christian fascist terrorist who has openly admitted to planning and executing the recent attacks against organised leftists in Norway is one of theirs. They own this tragedy and we should not allow them any leeway to disassociate their politics or their intentional falsehoods from what has happened. And most importantly, we must not let Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp be exempted from blame for pressing the bigotry button the moment they found out that Oslo was burning in the name of the risen Christ.

Despite the obvious cognitive and social setbacks of racialist thinking, the important business of Europocentric, pro-Christian, ultra-conservative and neo-Confederate propaganda will roll along. Even in the face of extreme hypocrisy, White supremacist attitudes and terrorism can always be assured of a warm and welcoming reception from the people who bring us the news and from those who claim to serve us politically. This is a shame and people of goodwill must do more than just politely ignore such issues.

Racism is everyone’s problem. And the problem of White nationalism and racist violence will not go away unless we all, all of us, work earnesty to expose and ridicule these attitudes and the movements that fuel them. Violence is the refuge of the weak-minded, so let’s educate them, and ourselves, by taking the fight to another level. When we expose the roots of Eurpocentric ethnic bias we do more than just fight racism, we get to the heart of the unfair exploitation that threatens us all. Even the bigots.

After Vlakplaas, I think we all deserve better than this.

– TheAngryindian

[willthoughtout-blog]

To bear in mind when criticising Israel

Today, there was a protest outside Parliament attacking anti-Semitism within the Labour party, and specifically anti-Semitism within Corbyn’s faction of the Labour party.

This marks an important moment. As far as I’m aware, protests against institutional anti-Semitism are rare within the UK. When we think of racism here, we tend to think of anti-black or Islamophobic racism, among others. What this protest shows is that something has changed.

At the core of the protest is this:

The protesters say there is pervasive anti-Semitism within the Corbyn-led faction of the Labour party that is now dominant.

The counter-protesters say this is a) politically motivated (MPs known to dislike Corbyn took part) and b) the party is not anti-Semitic, it simply criticises the Israeli government.

So I want to talk about this notion that is frequently repeated by people I often agree with on other matters - that it ‘isn’t anti-Semitic to criticise Israel’.

I understand the logic of this argument. I held it too, I think, in a vague way before I took more interest in the topic. My first protest was a pro-Palestine, anti-Israel protest (my friend, who was more into it, dragged me along - I didn’t know the first thing about the situation to be honest).

So I understand the logic of those attacking the anti-Semitism protesters. But I disagree. I don’t think saying ‘it isn’t anti-Semitic to criticise Israel’ is good enough. This is for a number of reasons. Firstly, because it is often false - it ignores the fact that many who criticise Israel are anti-Semitic, especially within these groups Corbyn associates with. And secondly, because there are massive consequences of such a casual attitude to anti-Semitism - this racism is on the rise in UK politics, in large part because of these groups. And, to be honest, I’m not a massive fan of increasing racism.

The UK left, and anti-Semitism

There seems to me to be 2 potential reasons why someone might criticise the current Israeli government:

Genuine disgust for the crimes committed by the Israeli government (I share this opinion)

Hatred for Jewish people (because of Israel’s status as a Jewish state)

The UK left has been massively focused on the Israel-Palestine conflict for years now. Unfortunately, I think this is a meshing of the 2 reasons above, rather than a pure governmental critique.

The evidence for this is not hard to find.

Corbyn, for example, has campaigned in many pro-Palestine groups and events that I’m sure are perfectly well-intentioned. He has, however, supported groups strongly linked to Holocaust deniers. The latest controversy, which sparked today’s protests, were about the following mural:

This is so blatantly filled with anti-Semitic tropes, it’s difficult to even know where to start. The rich bankers, the large noses, the Illuminati conspiracy triangle. And the controversy is that Corbyn defended the artist who designed this, when he said it was being removed.

Another prominent leader of this group is Ken Livingstone (former 2-term Labour Mayor of London), a close ally of Corbyn’s. He’s made such a range of dubious comments about Jews, it’s difficult to know where to start (just check his Wikipedia page out). Corbyn was recently lenient on him when he seemed to suggest that Hitler wasn’t fundamentally so anti-Jew, it was just that he ‘went a bit crazy’.

There are others - it is far from just those at the top - but these are the 2 most powerful and prominent people in this faction.

Anti-semitism on the UK Right

A further problem is that anti-Semitism is not just confined to the likes of Corbyn and Livingstone. It is spreading across our society, and has popped up in the far right areas too.

Nigel Farage, for example, said recently that the ‘Jewish lobby’ has too much influence on US politics. He has also attacked George Soros, a Hungarian Jewish billionaire, for being some sort of traitor against Britain. As a Jewish billionaire (who, incidentally, has done lots of great pro-democracy work), it’s mind-numbingly predictable that he would be the subject for anti-Semitic attacks.

And this is occurring in more than just the fringe Ukip-parts of the conutry. This was the Telegraph’s front page recently, written by the former right-hand man of our current Prime Minister:

The anti-Semitic tropes (a rich Jew, ‘secret plot’, subverting our democracy etc) are again so blindingly obvious.

The emerging picture

The point is that we are a country experiencing a rise in anti-Semitism. This cannot be overlooked.

And this is not just happening in the UK, but across the world. Conspiracies about Jewish media and financial elites, George Soros, the Rothschilds, etc are international phenomena. This is because anti-Semitism (like many of other forms of prejudice) transcends country lines.

For proof, just check out the anti-Semitism Wikipedia page. There’s a whole host of examples:

A massacre in Germany in 1096

An expulsion from England in 1290

A massacre in Spain in 1391

An expulsion from Spain in 1492

A massacre in Ukraine in the 1650s

Pogroms in Russia throughout the 1800s

And so on.

Anti-Semitism has been going on for a millenium or more. It is serious. And it’s becoming bigger in the UK right now.

Criticising Israel

This of course doesn’t mean that someone can’t criticise Israel - indeed, in my opinion, we all should criticise the Israeli government. Its crimes against the Palestinians are horrific.

But it’s important to notice who you’re agreeing with and standing alongside when you do this.

When I criticise Jeremy Corbyn (who I helped elect as leader of the Labour party), or Ken Livingstone (who I think was a really good Mayor on the whole), I’m criticising people who I have time for, and share some common ground with.

Too often it feels like people on the left are unwilling to criticise other people in their own tribe.

And other people don’t criticise this for another reason - that they aren’t too bothered about other people, they just want to shine a light on this critical issue of the Israeli government’s crimes against the Palestinian people.

But what does that say, if you’re willing to stand alongside anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers? What does that say to the Jewish people in the UK?

It’s possible and commendable to criticise the Israeli government. Just make sure you’re paying attention to how you do it.

#labour #antisemitism

[illionoisprelawland-blog]

A Racialized Pandemic

By Addison Burns, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Class of 2021

August 7, 2020

In the midst of the global Coronavirus Epidemic, underlying Sinophobia against Chinese and individuals of Asian descent is exposed and present more than ever. The media coverage surrounding the Coronavirus has reinforced pre-existing stereotypes surrounding Asian people due to the origin location of the illness and demeaning rumors that have surfaced regarding its origins. There have been many perpetrators involved in casting the virus as ‘Chinese’ and fueling generation-old stereotypes in society by racializing the Coronavirus. It is sad that racializing diseases and pandemics has become normalized in 2020, but considering recent events pertaining to police brutality across the United States, it is a dismal reality. The past six months have unveiled the true colors of many. The year 2020 has been revolutionary so far, in regards to protesting police brutality and racial injustices impacting minorities, and specifically African Americans, in the United States. In this time, we must not overlook or ignore racial microaggressions normalized in society.

On January 31, 2020, the Australian newspaper, The Herald Sun, distributed papers with the front page headline: “Chinese Virus Pandamonium”, alluding to the virus as a ‘Chinese-problem’. If you dissect this insensitive headline, the implications it poses become clear. To start, the language and word-choices used in the headline are politically charged and carry negative connotations. The author could have easily titled the article, “Coronavirus Pandemonium”; the author purposely chose to use the phrase, ‘Chinese Virus’ to direct blame and ownership of the virus to Chinese people. Additionally, the misspelling, ‘pandamonium’ plays on the commonly known fact that pandas are native to the region. This headline could lead readers to make negative assumptions about China, Chinese people, and the Coronavirus based off of stereotypes surrounding individuals of Asian descent. Newspaper headlines originally existed to provide readers with topic indication, content summary and meaning; today, headlines prioritize being sensational and persuasive rather than information. The latently inappropriate headline labeling the virus a “Chinese” disease fuels misinformation spreading about the virus, and directs discrimination and Sinophobia at Chinese and Asian-descended individuals. Just as the ‘Black Death’ is not labeled a ‘European’ epidemic, the Coronavirus should not be referred to as a ‘Chinese’ virus. The virus is in no way classified by race, and should not be referred-to as such.

Casting the blame of the spread and creation of the coronavirus on Chinese people endorses Anti-Chinese Sentiment that stereotypes Chinese people as “disease-ridden” and “dirty”, (Zhau, 2020). By applying the Schema Theory and Social Expectations Theory, (Dixon, 2020), it becomes clear that the Herald Sun featured headlines reinforcing negative stereotypes surrounding Asian and Chinese Individuals.

The headline published by the Herald Sun is racially discriminatory to Chinese individuals, branding the disease as ‘Chinese’; it also provides an insensitive play-on-words alluding to Pandas, native to China. This headline reinforces stereotypes associating China with pandas; additionally, it racializes the disease. Labelling the virus as ‘Chinese’ exposes the recurring stereotype of associating Chinese and Asian individuals as ‘dirty’ and ‘diseased’. The headline encourages readers to associate Chinese individuals with diseases and pandas, which are already associated with Chinese people in various present stereotypes. By encouraging and repeating the message to readers, readers will develop negative schematic inferences that will be used automatically by habit.

Schematic inferences occur automatically and unconsciously, according to the Dissociation Model Process. The Dissociation Model Process deals with the role stereotypes play in how individuals process and make sense of their surroundings. When applied, the Dissociation Model explains why individuals use stereotypes even when they do not want to.

The headline, “Chinese Virus Pandamonium”, labels the Coronavirus as a “Chinese” virus, prompting readers to assume that Chinese people are to blame for the creation and spread of the deadly virus. People process media models, and view these media portrayals as real-life depictions, even if the media portrayals are not accurate, (Dixon, 2020). In communities that lack diversity, media portrayals such as the headline can affect community members’ perceptions and expectations of Chinese and Asian individuals. If society normalizes Chinese and Asian stereotypes and schemas, individuals might begin to naturally associate Chinese and Asians with these stereotypes out of habit.

The sensational and attention-grabbing headline by The Daily Herald perpetuates negative stereotypes that target Chinese individuals and people of Asian descent. By reinforcing the stereotype that Chinese individuals carry the Coronavirus, the headline normalizes racial Chinese-stereotypes that claim Chinese people are unsanitary and carry diseases. Another recent example in media is an article and video shared by The Toronto Sun claiming the video features a Chinese woman consuming bat soup amidst the Coronavirus epidemic, when bats are known-carriers of the Coronavirus, when the video actually was filmed in 2016 and features an Exotic Food Blogger, (Postmedia News, 2020).

Inadvertently, the offensive headline affects outsiders from forming their own opinions without inherited stereotypes and schemas. Repeated exposure normalizes negative Chinese and Asian stereotypes and schemas, individuals might begin to naturally associate Chinese and Asians with these stereotypes out of habit. The sensational and attention-grabbing headline by The Daily Herald perpetuates negative stereotypes that target Chinese individuals and people of Asian descent. Another recent example in media is an article and video shared by The Toronto Sun claiming the video features a Chinese woman consuming bat soup amidst the Coronavirus epidemic, when bats are known-carriers of the Coronavirus, when the video actually was filmed in 2016 and features an Exotic Food Blogger, (Postmedia News, 2020).  

There is more than one audience affected by this gross misrepresentation; the two audiences are viewers all-over, especially from non-diverse communities, and individuals of Asian and Chinese descent. The viewers are affected in that their perceptions and expectations of Chinese and Asian individuals are warped by persuasive, Anti-Chinese media content. Individuals of Asian and Chinese descent are affected in that they receive backlash and negative reactions from people that perpetuate negative stereotypes regarding Asian people. This latent racism primes the audience to believe that the media depicts reality accurately; the audience then expects people with Chinese physical features to have the “Chinese” virus (Coronavirus) and to be dirty for having the virus. Headlines are often all that people read; a study covered by The Washington Post found in 2016 that 6 out of 10 people will read and make judgements solely from headlines, (Dewey, 2016). Therefore, this Australian headline has the potential to spread rapidly and easily due to its brief and direct message, maximizing overall exposure. The repercussions of the Herald Sun’s front-page headline reach individuals regardless of geographic barriers, being easily repeated and passed on.

In the midst of the ongoing world pandemic, racial tensions are boiling over across the nation in response to police brutality. With the media focusing on select stories, as a society we need to resist the distractions and not forget to apply what we are fighting for to everyone, even outside of current-events. Somehow, the coronavirus has morphed into a racialized pandemic, highlighting generations-old stereotypes and prejudices underlying in society.

________________________________________________________________

Dewey, C. (2016, June 16). 6 in 10 of you will share this link without reading it, a new, depressing study says. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/06/16/six-in-10-of-you-will-share-this-link-without-reading-it-according-to-a-new-and-depressing-study/

Pankin, J. (2013). Schema Theory. Retrieved February 27, 2020, from http://web.mit.edu/pankin/www/Schema_Theory_and_Concept_Formation.pdf

Zhao, I. (2020, February 1). An overheard comment at the supermarket shows another threat has emerged from the coronavirus. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-01/coronavirus-has-sparked-racist-attacks-on-asian-australians/11918962

Dixon, T. (2020, February 25). Stereotyping in Media 1. Learn.illinois.edu. https://learn.illinois.edu/pluginfile.php/5936160/mod_resource/content/0/Stereotyping%20in%20the%20Media%201.pdf

Dixon, T. (2020, February 27). Stereotyping in Media 2. Learn.illinois.edu. https://learn.illinois.edu/pluginfile.php/5936163/mod_resource/content/2/Stereotyping%20in%20the%20Media%202.pdf

Dixon, T. (2020, February 11). Social Construction. Learn.illinois.edu. https://learn.illinois.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=4214238

Dixon, T. (2020, February 13). Social Perception and Processing of Media. Learn.illinois.edu. https://learn.illinois.edu/pluginfile.php/5936136/mod_resource/content/4/social%20perception%20and%20processing%20of%20media-spring%202020-update.pdf

Price, D. (2018, March 23). Laziness does not exist. Medium. https://humanparts.medium.com/laziness-does-not-exist-3af27e312d01

Weeks, K. (2020, February). Minorities Represented in Media Discussion. Discussion conducted at University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL

Postmedia News. (2020, January 23). CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Eating a bat amid coronavirus epidemic. Retrieved from https://torontosun.com/news/world/caught-on-camera-eating-bats-amid-coronavirus-epidemic

[english240groupa]

Columbus? How about... No!

https://u.osu.edu/ccbusincbus/

By X. Trujillo

For the sake of expediency and so as not to, like the old adage says, beat a dead horse lets begin with the well-established (and well-earned) premise: Christopher Columbus was a terrible person. I do not say this lightly nor without cause, in fact I could use 100 adjectives that are much worse and still be supported by research. Columbus was despicable. Let’s start with that as an accepted fact. I will not go down that particular rabbit hole today. He was. Period.  And even the tiniest bit of research will prove that if you still have not quite let go of your 6th grade history lesson of the “brave and conquering discoverer of America”.  I am trying not to let this blog go into “rant” territory so I will not use all the description that he so justly deserves. It is true and well-researched and if you do not solely want to take my word for it, you can take the word of historians, Howard Zinn, James W Loewen, or a contemporary of Columbus, Bartolome de las Casas. 

Or if you want a fast and dirty reminder watch this short video by Adam Ruins Everything which pretty much sums it up:

So, as previously established: Columbus was no hero and lacked many characteristics to even be considered a good person.  It is also well established that he did not set off to prove that the earth was round; this was already a well-accepted fact in 1492. This is strike two.

The fact that there were literally thousands of thriving and established communities, with over 20 million native inhabitants, throughout the Americas when Columbus chose to set sail also negates any “discovering” which has been attributed to him. You cannot discover an inhabited land, and this is not even mentioning everyone else (Vikings, Africans, etc) whom might have actually set foot in America (which Columbus NEVER did) long before.  In the book, Lies My Teacher Told Me, historian James W. Loewen numbers FOURTEEN possible encounters before Columbus. 14! Strike 3. He’s out.

        None of this is new information. It is all widely accessible and credible. Which is why many cities and states are replacing Columbus day as a holiday with Indigenous People’s Day. This seems a natural progression of a society which is slowly beginning to question its own cultural assumptions and history: it’s a result of reckoning with its imperialistic and racist past. This seemed like a long-overdue step in the right direction. Finally…Which was why  it was even more surprising when I came across an article in the New York Times last Sunday written by Christina Caron titled, “Why Some Italian-Americans Still Fiercely Defend Columbus Day”. It was an… interesting read. And it made me pause for a second. And for a second I thought, “ok, I can see their point…” but that literally lasted a second because even as I thought that my brain was adding a “but…”.

        Caron cites the racism that Italian immigrants encountered in the late 1800’s and the early 1900s as a driving force behind the push to celebrate Columbus Day. This was done as a way to seek acceptance into the dominate culture by Italian Americans; “Columbus was Italian (a fact we will revisit later on) and he discovered America so… Italians belong!” I get that. Minorities have always had to fight to be seen and had to carve out a space for themselves amongst a resisting and, often times, violent xenophobic society. Truly there is nothing more American than racism and apple pie. It is ingrained in our DNA and all new waves of immigrant populations, especially those with darker skin and identifiable physical differences, are targeted and tried to be excluded by those who “pass”. This has been true throughout American history and should not be denied nor ignored. It is important to meet this head on and to understand how damaging it is to not only the new immigrants but also the ideals of this nation. This issue, of the racism Italian Americans had to fight in order to be accepted into the dominate society, is an important one and one which they tried to fix with the bandage solution of mythicizing Columbus. But perhaps now, almost a century later it is time to rip off that bandage and not seek admittance via the hero-making of a genuine villain. Now that Italian Americans hold a fairly prominent role within American culture and are safe from that past exclusion, we should all look back and recognize their struggle and make sure that we do not do the same to any other ethnic groups. This however should not be done by lifting a vile and violent man on a pedestal; if you seek admittance by the virtue of one man should not that man be truly virtuous?  There are many other Italian Americans who deserve to be acknowledged and didn’t spark a genocide nor the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Here is a short list from the Zinn Education Project of Italian Americans who made valuable contributions to American society.

Not only are these figures vastly less problematic, but they were actually Italian Americans where Cristopher Columbus was not. In his article, “The Five Myths of Cristopher Columbus”, Kris Lane points out that Columbus was born in an area that is now Italy, but when Columbus lived, there was no such thing as an Italian; Italy did not exist until 1861… In Columbus’s lifetime, Genoa was a fiercely independent republic with its own language, currency and overseas colonies… Most historians believe that Columbus was Genoese, but they hesitate to call him “Italian,” partly for the reasons stated above, and partly because Columbus left home early and moved around a lot.”     

Sooooo not good and not even really Italian?  What does this guy even have going for him? Not much it would seem yet his defenders still hold fierce and true: ‘“The ‘tearing down of history’ does not change that history,” John M. Viola, then the president and chief operating officer of the National Italian American Foundation, wrote in a New York Times editorial last year. “In the wake of the cultural conflict that has ripped us apart over these months, I wonder if we as a country can’t find better ways to utilize our history to eradicate racism instead of inciting it.”’ This statement is quoted in the Times article and it makes me both uneasy and laugh a little. This “tearing down of history” phrase has become a sort of dog-whistle of the far-right. I, of course have no insight on whether Mr. Viola meant it as such but it has become the rallying cry of people who try to defend waving the confederate flag and maintaining confederate monuments. No, thanks. I don’t buy what you’re selling. Those symbols are inherently racist and having them in a place of prominence is meant to instill fear not teach history. If history was what you wanted to maintain, lets put those in a museum and explain how most where built long after the civil war as a tool of white supremacy. Let’s teach history and let’s also teach values. Let’s teach that we will not blindly worship anyone and overlook their flaws simply in the name of history.  This is not “tearing down history”, we simply will not stand for the incomplete version any longer.

It is also rather disingenuous, at the very least, for Mr. Viola to say that racism is being incited against Italian Americans because Christopher Columbus is finally beginning to lose the legend that has hidden his true nature. Italian Americans have “made it”, so to speak, and are favorably looked upon by dominate society. They hold a secure place of significance in American culture and will not lose that because of the unmasking of one false legend.  To suggest so is untruthful and a bit of a scare-tactic.

Works Cited

Casas, Bartolomé de las, and Lewis. Hanke. Historia De Las Indias. Fondo De Cultura EconóMica, 1951.

Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New Press : Distributed by Norton, 1995.

Lane, Kris.  Five myths about Christopher Columbus October 8, 2015. Washington Post.

Stannard, David E. American Holocaust: Columbus and the Conquest of the New World. Oxford University Press, 1992.

Stone, Edward T. "Columbus And Genocide". American Heritage. Vol. 26 no. 6. American Heritage Publishing Company. 1975

Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present. 20th anniversary ed., HarperCollins, 1999

#abolishcolumbusday #indegenouspeoplesday #whitewashedhistory #liesmyteachertoldme

[indirasinnerbeauty]

Homeless People, I See You and I Care About You

“If the world is cold, make it your business to build fires.” – Horace Traubel

I heard this quote about a week ago, and it sparked something special in my soul. These words seem to perfectly string together, wrap up, and tie in a bow the mission of Indira’s Inner Beauty – and my mission as a human being on this earth. I want to share with you a very special sentiment that I was overflowed with yesterday.

I was walking around The Loop in Chicago with a friend. We had fun plans to get brunch at the new Yolk location on Madison, and then see the Takashi Murakami exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art. We did do those things, and they were both awesome and fun, but not the highlight of the day for me.

We were walking from brunch to the museum and, like at pretty much any cross-walk in the heart of the city, there was a homeless man with a dirty plastic cup asking for money. This man was definitely in need of an act of kindness. He was hunched over in a way that made it clear that he could barely walk, and he was exhausted from standing in the blazing 91 degree heat with what looked like his only shirt, a dark long-sleeved one. He could barely talk and he was very, very thin. I saw him before we crossed over to his side of the street and I immediately started rummaging through my purse.

He was quietly asking, “please help me,” to everybody walking by. I took out my wallet and dumped all of the coins that I had into his cup. I wish I could have given him more, but it was about a dollar and a half – which is better than nothing. He said “God bless you,” at least three times while I poured the change into his cup. I felt so sad for him that his life consisted of this; being hungry, sick, and alone having to ask strangers for money. I felt the sudden urge to hug him, so I did. I gave this man a tight hug, carefully in order not to hurt him. He kept saying “God bless you,” to me. I let go and said it back to him, wished him a good 4th of July weekend, and walked away.

That is the last time I ever saw this man. I don’t know his name, or really anything about him, but I love him. The way that he smiled at me warmed my heart in a special way. I love this man, and I hope he got himself that food he needed with the money I gave him, even though it wasn’t much at all.

I felt like crying as I walked away. I wish I could have done more for him. I went on a long rant afterwards, which I’ll do my best to summarize. I kept telling my friend, “under the Trump administration, these are the people who get completely and utterly overlooked.” This was an African-American male, and in this society Black men are often treated as “thugs” for no valid reason at all, simply due to racism engrained in people’s brains by older generations. This man has a beautiful soul, I could just tell. But because he is Black and homeless, people don’t look twice at him.

People may call me racist for making this statement, but I believe my statement is one encouraging racial sensitivity. Most people have some sort of modern racism instilled in their brains. Modern racism is subconsciously doing things such as sitting further away from a person of color on the bus, or similar acts. While traditional racism (explicitly stating dislike for another race) is dying down compared to what it was like 50 years ago, many people of this generation have been raised by people who were raised in traditionally racist homes. This is one of the many ways a person can come to engage in modern racist thought processes, being exposed to racist messages at home. There are many other ways that this can occur, but that’s a post for another day.

There are challenges that Black Americans face that nobody can understand if they are not Black. I am not Black; I can’t fully understand these challenges at all. However, I can observe people’s behavior and I can draw from experiences that Black friends or colleagues have shared with me. An overwhelming majority of the people asking for money on the street in downtown Chicago are Black or Latinx. People are immediately much more likely to drop their quarters in the cup of a White male rather than a Black male counterpart. I find that disgusting. This is the 21st century and the fact that racism still exists is absolutely disgusting.

This isn’t the point of this story, but it is something I felt needed to be interjected because I put a lot of thought into it yesterday. Under the Trump administration, I do believe that homeless individuals, individuals who struggle with socioeconomic status, individuals who identify with the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals who identify with a racial minority in the United States, I believe that these people are being done a huge disservice under the current administration.

From things like cutting funding for “Meals on Wheels,” to threatening to build a wall at the border of the United States and Mexico, to simply making the ignorant statements that he makes, Donald Trump is slowly getting one step closer to his goal of making America solely White, conservative, and rich again. Choosing to cut government funding that is used to make this country livable for every inhabitant is simply cruel. As a liberal, and somebody who cares about the marginalized communities of the world, I believe that the government should be taking care of these people. With even a quarter of the money spent on unnecessary things, for example bombs, this country could be a large step closer to feeding individuals who can’t feed themselves and helping these individuals who are currently not being given a fighting chance even a bit.

I believe that this government should be taking care of all Americans, not just wealthy ones. I do not understand how a person can believe that other individuals do not deserve food, water, shelter, education, and weather-appropriate clothing. I don’t understand how somebody in a position of power can simply not care enough to look into these issues. I don’t understand how such a diverse country can vote into office somebody who cannot care enough to help people in need.

We need better resources for homeless individuals, low-income individuals, and military veterans. Everybody deserves to become trained in something in order to find a job to support themselves. The government has enough resources to be doing a much better job than this. These people deserve government aid. These people deserve to be given help from a capable government and then be able to make it on their own, not survive off of charity. Because, while charity is very kind, there shouldn’t be this enormous of a financial discrepancy in this country. Charity often implies a superior and an inferior, and therefore it instills even bolder lines between socioeconomic classes; that isn’t what it should be about. Everybody deserves food, water, shelter, and clothes while they get back on their feet. The American government has enough money to do this. Obama was making really significant strides of improvement in this direction. Can Barack, Joe, and Michelle just come back now?

I have so much more to say about this topic, and more stories to share with you all from various times in my life. Those stories are for another day to come very soon. I am working on figuring out how people like myself, and my lovely readers, can help with this situation. I will absolutely write about it once I figure it all out. But, for now, I simply ask you to be kind to others around you. Give a dollar to the person on the street who is asking for spare change in order to eat. I gave four other people some money yesterday, and a hug, but I deeply wish I could have done more. If a few coins can help build one fire, imagine what the world would be like if everybody who could were to give a few coins to somebody in need. The world would surely become less cold.

I gave that man on the street a hug yesterday because I wanted him to feel seen. I wanted him to know that I see him, and I care about him. Everybody deserves to be seen, and everybody deserves to be cared about. This man deserves better. This country deserves better. We must fight for the rights of those who cannot fight for their own. The fight must charge forward, and we must take it upon ourselves to make adequate change for our human brothers and sisters. Donald Trump sure doesn’t seem to be doing so.

#homeless #poor #america #american #chicago #homelessness #trump #against trump #donald trump #reality